Ladder jack



' Jan. 5, 1937. i B F FENTON 2,066,462

LADDER JACK Filed May 22, 1936 8 $920 w67 l, L

2a 'fl E- 5 INVENTOR.'

Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES ATEN PHE LADDER JACK Benn F. Fenton,Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 22, 1936, Serial No. 81,301 s claims. (o1. 304-3) 'Myinvention relates to ladder jacks and one object is to provide a deviceof this character having a main platform and a supplemental platform'upon either of which a workman may stand,

or whichmay be utilized for supporting the ends of a scaffold when twoladders with jacks are employed. i `Another object is to provide adevice 4of this character which may be readily positioned whereverdesiredl along the length of the ladder and is adjustable to fit theangular position of the ladder to the end that the platforms may bemaintained in a horizontal plane and thus provide a safe support for theworkman.

l5 A further object is to provide a strong and durable device of thischaracter which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture andis somewhat narrower than the ladder in order to leave room for theworkman to ascend or descend the latter.

Other objects will hereinafter appear and in order that the inventionmay be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of a ladder with my device inposition thereon.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the ladder with my device in positionthereon.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of an extension ladder with mydevice in position thereon.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the parts shown by Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical cross section on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the different parts, A designates a ladderconsisting of the usual stiles B and rungs C.

Referring now more particularly to my device, 2 designates a mainplatform adapted to rest at its forward portion upon any one of therungs C. The rear portion of the main platform 2 is reinforced by atransverse member 4 firmly secured to the underside thereof by means ofa U-shaped metallic strap 6, the ends of which project above the mainplatform 2 and are equipped with a roller 8 adapted to cooperate withthe metallic strap 6 in holding a supplemental platform I upon the mainplatform 2.-

In practice the main platform 2 is maintained in a horizontal, orapproximately horizontal plane, by means of a brace I2 connected at itsupper portion by a hinge I4 to the transverse member 4. The lowerportion of the brace I2 is equipped with two pairs of xedly mountedspaced members I6 adapted to straddle one of the rungs C of the ladderto which they are removably secured by U-shaped devices I8 adapted toenter holes 23 in the respective members It. Each spaced member I6 isprovided with a series of holes 29 arranged in axial alinement with the5 holes in the companion member to receive the respective U-shapeddevice E3. With the foregoing arrangement it is apparent that the U-shaped devices I8 may be raised or lowered to accommodate differentinclination of the ladder 10 and thereby cooperate with the brace memberI2 in maintaining the platforms 2 and I0 in a horizontal plane.

As shown by Figs. 2 and Ll, the main and supplemental platforms 2 andIll, respectively, are 15 narrower than the ladder so that whenpositioned at o-ne side thereof as shown, room is left for a workman toascend or descend the ladder, or readily gain access to the platform Iil. In order to provide as much space as practical at 20 one side of theladder for the passage of the workman, one side of the platform 2 isrecessed at one of its forward corners as indicated at 22 to receive theadjacent stile B of the ladder. The recessed portion 22 also provides ashoulder 2li which en- 25 gages the face of the adjacent stile B andthereby prevents accidental forwardA movement of the main platform 2upon the supporting rung C. As a further precaution against forwardmovement of the platform 2, I provide the underside thereof 30 with atransverse cleat 26 adapted to engage the front portion of the adjacentrung C. When the device is applied to an extension ladder the cleat 26is adapted to pass between two adjacent rungs C, Fig. 3, and therebyprevent accidental forward 35 or backward movement of the platform 2.

Provision is also made for holding the platform 2 from accidentalbackward movement upon the supporting rung by means of a pair of bolts28 adapted to slide in opposite directions in a sleeve 40 30 fixed tothe forward portion of the platform 2 in such position that when thebolts 28 are slid outwardly they will engage the rear sides of thestiles B. When the bolts 28 are slid inwardly towards each other theirouter ends become approximately ush with the sides of the platform 2,Fig. 5, so they will not contact the stiles B when the platform 2 isbeing placed in position or removed from between said stiles. Forconven- 50 ience in operating the bolts 28 they are provided with knobs32 which project through slots 34 in the sleeve 30.

As shown by Figs. l, 3 and 4, the supplemental platform I0 is longerthan the main platform 2 55 so that the workman may stand thereon eitherin front or at the rear of the ladder and affords a convenient means forenabling the workman to get close to the side of a building or other`structure. The main platform 2 and the roller 8 cooperate in preventingthe supplemental platform Ill from tipping when the workman stands onthe forward portion of the latter, and the rear underside of thesupplemental platform l0 is provided with a fixed transverse bar 36adapted to contact the adjacent end of the main platform 2 and therebyprevent accidental forward movement of said supplemental platform I0.When desired, the supplemental platform HJ may be removed from the mainplatform 2.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing, itis apparent that I have provided a ladder jack embodying the advantageshereinbefore pointed out, and while I have shown one form of myinvention I reserve all rights to such other forms and modificationsthereof as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. A ladder jack comprising a platform adapted to rest at its forwardportion upon one of the rungs of a ladder, means adapted to maintainsaid platform in a horizontal plane upon the rung, a sleeve xed to theforward portion of the platform, bolts slidable in opposite directionsin said sleeve and adapted to engage the stiles of the ladder andthereby prevent backward movement of the platform upon the rung, and acleat fixed to the underside of the platform adapted to engage the rungon which said platform rests and thereby prevent forward movement of thelatter.

2. A ladder jack comprising a platform adapted to rest at its forwardportion upon one of the rungs of a ladder, said platform being narrowerthan the ladder and having a recessed forward corner to receive theadjacent stile of the ladder, means adapted to maintain said platform ina horizontal plane upon the rung, a sleeve fixed to the forward portionof the platform, and bolts slidable in opposite directions in saidsleeve and adapted to engage the stiles of the ladder and therebyprevent backward movement of the platform upon the rung.

3. A ladder jack comprising a main platform adapted to rest upon onerung of a ladder, means for holding said main platform in a horizontalplane, a supplemental platform of greater length than said main platformand adapted to rest upon the latter, and a transverse bar secured to therear portion of the supplemental platform and adapted to engage theadjacent end of the main platform.

BENN F. FENTON.

